Jenny Tran, PhD

Responsibilities

As the Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow, I have the privilege of providing comprehensive assessment and psychosocial care to patients and family members touched by cancer, in addition to providing multidisciplinary consultation in medical settings to other members of the healthcare team. Through an integration of evidence-based interventions and a human-centered approach, I attempt to meet patients where they are, to provide them with extra tools to navigate the cancer experience, and to create a space that integrates their strengths and values so that they feel genuinely seen and heard throughout their cancer care.

I am located at the Simms/Mann Center in Westwood, as well as in the Alhambra clinic, and participate in the weekly Pancreatic Clinic multidisciplinary case conference.

Training

After receiving my B.A. in psychology from University of California, San Diego, I worked for two years as a behavioral interventionist with children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. Through this role, I cultivated an interest in working with family members and caregivers who are actively involved in the care of their loved ones. In 2016, I started my doctorate in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Health Psychology at California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in Los Angeles. My doctoral dissertation explored how cultural values and coping styles impact quality of life in family caregivers of older adults with chronic illness. Concurrently, I received extensive clinical training through several pre-internships including a life-changing year providing psychosocial care to patients with cancer here at the Simms/Mann Center. Additional clinical placements included working with patients with OCD and anxiety-related disorders at Renewed Freedom Center and providing cognitive assessments, individual therapy, and group support to older adult Veterans at West Los Angeles VA.

I received my Ph.D. in 2021 after completing a full-time APA-accredited pre-doctoral internship at VA St. Louis Health Care System, where I pursued a year of integrated health training in psycho-oncology at Siteman Cancer Center in Barnes Jewish Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine, as well as in palliative care, spinal cord injury rehabilitation, primary care-mental health integration, and health promotion/disease prevention (including weight management and smoking cessation) within the VA medical centers and in community clinics.

My experience working with complex medical conditions highlighted the importance of understanding patient’s needs through a biopsychosocial lens and the advantages of working with other members in a care team. It is an immense honor to be invited into the lives of our patients and family, and to walk alongside them in this journey.

Personal Interests and Perspectives

Being a Los Angeles native, I revel in occasionally escaping the busy city and finding peace in the Eastern Sierra mountains where I enjoy camping and fishing with my partner and our two dogs. If I was not a psychologist, I would most likely be a party planner. I love crafting, cooking, dressing up, and bringing people together to celebrate life and love, at any chance we get.

Also, go Dodgers and Lakers!